Home Again
by lovetowrite85
Summary: Mercedes' cousin Kristina left Lima four years ago, swearing to never return. After being summoned back to Lima due to family issues, she is forced to face her painful past. Along the way, she connects with Mercedes' friends, and delivers a few hard truths in a way that only an outsider can.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This was written several years ago during my first re-watch of the series. I found it when I was cleaning out my computer. This is my first fan fiction. It takes place during season 3. Pretend there was an extra week between Heart and On My Way.

_Monday_

Once I made it inside McKinley, I just stopped and looked around. In the four years since I last stepped foot in this place, everything had changed, but it had also stayed the same. I was brought out of my reverie by my three year-old daughter Noelle.

"Is this really where you and daddy went to high school" her curiosity making her a little antsy, but apprehensive at the same time.

"Yup, way back before you were born, these were our hallways. Come on, I have to check in with Principal Figgins" I told her, picking her up and settling her on my hip.

_Thirty minutes later…_

"Ms. Jones, thank you for being willing to help out while you're here in Lima. I know being back here gives you mixed feelings" Principal Figgins said escorting me out of his office.

"Glad I could help out. If it wasn't for McKinley, I wouldn't be who I am, or have my daughter." I replied, looking over at Noelle who was talking Mrs. Johnson's ear off. I can't believe she hasn't retired yet.

"Yes, well… Thank you again" Principal Figgins said before returning to his office.

"Can we go now mommy? I want to see MomMom and PopPop" Noelle asked.

"Not yet honey. Cede is bringing the key here, so we can get settled at home, then PopPop is going to pick you up so you can go to work with him, while I come back here. Cede should be here soon." I said, checking my phone to see if Cede had responded, before freezing at a voice that still sends chills down my spine four years later.

"Kristina Jones, as I live and breathe. I never thought I'd see you back in this dump" Coach Sylvester said, approaching the office, flanked by two cheerleaders.

"Hey Coach, nice to see you again" I said, pulling Noelle behind me.

"Sandbags, Brits, meet the original Baby mama, aka, Kristina Jones. She was one of my champion Cheerios for four years. The first freshman to ever earn a spot on my team, helped to start my consecutive championships. Yep, the reason you two and Preggers were allowed to join as freshmen. Never disappointed me, well, just that one time" Coach said, eyeing Noelle.

"Coach" I started.

"No, it's fine. You clearly did well for yourself. Sandbags, Brits, you could learn a lot from this one. Jones, stop by my office before you leave" Coach said, starting to walk away.

"I really just wanted to get settled a bit before" I started to say, but was interrupted.

"That wasn't a request Jones, it was an order." Coach replied, not stopping or turning around.

"You'd think that after four years away, I would be able to say no to her, but nope. She still scares the living daylights out of me. That's a problem you two don't seem to have though" I told the two girls.

"Do we know you" the blonde asked.

"No, you know my cousin, Mercedes Jones. She's told me a lot about you. Well, you and all the other Glee kids. I'm hoping to get to know more about all of you this week." I told them

"Oh really? What do you know about us" the Latina asked.

"I know that you, Santana, are one of the fiercest people Cede knows, and you usually instill fear in everyone you meet, but you have a big heart, and are very protective of those you love. Cede says you are the one person she can always count on to have her back. And Brittany has a very unique outlook on life, and is one of the nicest people in the world. Cede says you are always able to make her smile no matter how she's feeling. I also know that you have an amazing voice Santana, and Brittany is an incredible dancer, and that the Troubletones were robbed at Sectionals. And only part of that opinion comes from my Cedes bias" I told them.

"Ok, maybe you are related to Aretha." Santana said.

"Aretha" I asked.

"That's what San calls Mercedes, but it's ok because Mercedes calls her Satan" Brittany explained.

"Oh, ok. Have either of you seen Cede yet? She was supposed to meet me here to give me her house key" I said.

"Just in passing this morning. She did mention her cousin coming, so I guess she meant you." Santana said.

"Who's that behind you" Brittany asked.

"Oh, this is my daughter Noelle. Noelle, these are Cedes' friends Santana and Brittany" I said, making introductions.

"Hi, I'm Noelle Mercedes Jones, and I'm almost four years old" Noelle said, offering them her hand.

"Noelle? That's very pretty" Brittany said.

"It's an interesting name" Santana added, eyeing Noelle.

"Yeah, well she was named after …Noah" I exclaimed, spotting someone I haven't seen in person in almost four years.

"Krissy" Noah replied, running up to me, hugging me so tight he picked me up, spinning me around.

"Put me down. I have someone I want you to meet, again" I told him.

"Noah, this is Noelle" I said, stepping behind Noelle.

"My mommy has a picture of you at our house. She says you're important to us." Noelle said, offering Noah her hand.

"Does she? I'm glad to hear that. Do you mind if I give you a hug" Noah asked.

"Mommy" Noelle asked, getting a head nod for an answer.

"You give good hugs, just like mommy said" Noelle said hugging Noah.

"I've waited a long time to be able to hug you again" Noah replied.

"Sweetie, why don't you take mommy's phone, and call PopPop to let him know we've made it to McKinley, and will be at the house soon, while mommy talks to Noah ok" I told Noelle, dialing the number and giving her the phone.

"How are you Noah" I asked once Noelle was settled with the phone.

"I'm good. I didn't know you were coming into town. I thought you said you were never coming back" Noah replied.

"There was a family emergency, and Uncle Michael said I had to come back, so here I am. Why are you at the office? Please tell me you're not in trouble already" I said.

"No, I'm not in trouble. Sexy Mama gave me her keys, and told me there would be someone here I would want to see, and Sexy Mama knows what I like, so I rushed here as fast as I could" Noah replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Sexy Mama? Please tell me you're not talking about Cede" I said.

"The one and only. Face it she's hot. The things I would do to her if I didn't respect her so much" Noah said, not feeling the least bit guilty.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you" I said, shaking my head at him.

"I know what you could do with me" Noah replied with a smirk.

"Not in this lifetime little boy. Even if you did go and get extremely hot on me" I told him.

"Oh, you think I'm hot? You know what could happen when two hot people get together" Noah said suggestively.

"Yes, I know exactly what happens when two hot people get together. And so do you, remember" I said, motioning towards Noelle with my head.

"Oh, yeah, right. Well, have you seen Sexy Mama yet" Noah asked.

"Please stop calling her that, and no I have not seen her. I was just talking to your friends Sant- OMG, that was so rude. I'm so sor-" I said whirling around to where I had been talking to Brittany and Santana, only to realize they weren't there anymore.

"Who are you talking to" Noah asked.

"I was talking to Santana and Brittany before you showed up, then I completely ignored them. They must think I'm the rudest person alive" I said.

"Well, you are rude. Anyone who knows you knows that" Noah replied.

"Yes, but they DON'T know me, and I would rather Cedes' friends not think negative about me before they get to know me" I told him.

"I'll straighten everything out for you. I'll tell them that you saw the Puckster, and couldn't contain yourself" Noah said.

"You better not. Just tell them that I forgot my manners, and I'm not normally that rude." I told him.

"But you are that... Never mind. Look, here are Mercedes' keys. I have to get to class before I get detention" Noah said giving me the keys.

"Thank you. Let me know when Noelle and I can stop by. I want to see your mom since I'm here" I said.

"She'd love for you to stop by. She misses you. We've all missed you" Noah said pulling me into a tight hug.

"I've missed you too Noah" I told him, breaking our embrace.

"I go by Puck now. See you later little lady. Be good for your mommy" Noah said hugging Noelle again.

"I'm pretty sure I should be telling you that Noah" I replied when he gave Noelle back to me.

"Ask ma, she'll tell you I've been doing better" Noah replied.

"I will. Stop by the house tonight so we can catch up some more" I told him.

"Make sure you or Sexy Mama answers the door. Dr. Jones scares me" Noah said.

"You keep calling Cede Sexy Mama, and I'm gonna tell Uncle Michael about that nickname" I warned him.

"I thought you loved me" Noah replied.

"With all my heart. Now hurry up and get to class" I told him.

"Alright baby, let's go see what coach wants so we can go home" I said, putting Noelle on the ground so she could walk.

_That night…_

"Alright, Noelle is upstairs being spoiled rotten by Uncle Michael, Aunt Karen, and Cede, so you have my undivided attention" I told Noah as we made ourselves comfortable on one of the basement couches. "What's been going on with you?"

"Not much. School's alright, I love Glee club way more than a badass like me should, my pool cleaning business is doing really well, the MILFs of Lima love me" Noah said proudly.

"Noah, please don't tell me you're screwing these women" I said.

"Fine then I won't, but you know I like older women. I've always liked older women" Noah stated.

"Yes, but just because you like something, it doesn't mean you should have it" I told him. "They are just using you because you're young, hot, and probably have stamina for days."

"Maybe, but one was special. Shelby made me feel like an adult. She looked at me like I mattered" Noah said.

"Shelby? Cede's Troubletone coach" I asked.

"Yeah, we had a thing when she was here. Quinn and I were trying to get closer to Beth, but Quinn went all psycho, and Shelby and I got close. I was there for her when she didn't have anyone else. It felt good to be needed. She actually wanted good things for me. She encouraged me, and wasn't constantly yelling at me" Noah said.

"So what happened" I asked.

"When the Troubletones lost, and after the girls came back to the New Directions, she left. She told me that we wouldn't work, and then she disappeared after Sectionals" Noah said.

"You haven't heard from her at all? Not even about Beth" I asked.

"No. I called a couple times, but no response" Noah said.

"I'm sorry" I told him.

"It's fine. I probably would've screwed it up anyway. I screw everything up. I'm a Lima Loser just like my dad" Noah said sadly.

"Who told you that you were loser" I asked.

"You mean other than pretty much everybody who's ever met me? Quinn tried to pass Finn off as Beth's dad because she thought I was a Lima Loser, and will be stuck here forever" Noah said.

"Ugh, don't even get me started on that girl" I said.

"You don't like Quinn" Noah asked.

"Not even a little bit. Come here" I said, pulling Noah towards me on the couch. "You are not a Lima Loser. I could never love a Lima Loser, and would never allow Noelle to love a Lima Loser, and we both love you. Anyone who actually knows you, who knows your heart, knows that you are so much more than what you project to the world. You are not staying in this town, even if I have to come back and drag you out of it myself. And if I ever hear you call yourself a Lima Loser again, I will kick your ass. No one talks about Noah Puckerman like that, including Noah Puckerman."

"Message received. I love you Krissy" Noah said, laying his head in my lap.

"I know. I love you too. Now, what are we going to do about your love life? Cede said you haven't been serious about anyone since Lauren last year, so I'm guessing she doesn't know about Shelby. Who do you have your eye on" I asked.

"No one really. I'd like another chance with Sexy Mama, but she only likes Noah, not Puck, and I don't really know how to be just Noah, plus my bro is really into her" Noah said.

"Wait, Sexy Mama? You and Cede dated? When" I asked.

"For like a hot minute back in sophomore year. She never told you" Noah asked.

"No. What happened? Why'd you break up" I asked.

"Well, I needed to boost my mojo, and Sexy Mama was a Cheerio, so I gave her a proposition. We date, raise her cool factor even more, and get my mojo back. It was win-win, but she saw through my bs, and dumped me" Noah said.

"And now" I asked.

"Now, I try to be a better man. You know, be more Noah than Puck, but it's not always easy. I really like Sexy Mama, but we would never work out. Plus I think she would be perfect for Sam if they could just get their acts together" Noah said.

"What do you mean" I asked.

"When Sam left, none of us knew he and Sexy Mama had been dating. Most of us didn't find out until Jacob Ben Israel's interview the first day of school. Anyway, she was still with Shane when Sam came back, and they had some back and forth issues, but last week, she sang "I Will Always Love You" to him, and he was all crying and emotional and stuff, but I don't think he's going to give up. I think they're meant to be" Noah admitted.

"Ok, where does that leave you since Cede is a no go" I asked.

"I'm a sex shark. I roam wherever needed, and trust me plenty of ladies need Puckasaurus. An entire sorority house was my date for Valentine's Day last week, so you know, I can't be tied down" Noah said.

"Noah, that's not what I want for you. You should want better for yourself. I picture you with a gorgeous wife, three kids, two girls one boy, in addition to Beth, who you have a great relationship with. You are super successful, and your wife adores you. You also see Noelle and I frequently, and she adores you too. She has decided that she is going to marry someone just like her Noah, who is her second favorite person in the world, though sometimes I think she likes you more than me. You're also super close to all of your Glee friends, and have been in all their weddings" I said, running my fingers through his mohawk.

"That sounds nice" Noah said, sounding extremely relaxed.

"Are you falling asleep on me Noah" I asked.

"Just give me five minutes, and we can talk more" Noah said, snuggling more into me.

"Fine, Noah" I said, turning on the TV until he woke up.

_Fifteen minutes later…_

"Alright, mom and dad have Noelle, so we can…" Mercedes started, but was interrupted by me shushing her. Looking down, she noticed Noah asleep in my lap. "How long has he been out?"

"Fifteen minutes. He said he would only sleep for 5, but I didn't want to wake him. Plus it's nice just being with him again. I've missed him more than I thought I did" I told her. "But before he went to sleep, he told me some really interesting information. Information about you."

"What information could Puck possibly know about me that you don't already know" Cede asked, sitting on the floor across from me.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that the two of you dated when you were sophomores. Care to share your side" I asked.

"There's nothing to share. Puck convinced me that he was a better person after his fall from grace, but he really hadn't changed. I caught him tossing nerds into the dumpster, and his response was that we were at the top of the heap, and needed to remind them of their place. He wasn't even a little bit apologetic. I couldn't date someone like that, so I dumped him" Cede replied.

"Really? That doesn't sound like Noah" I said.

"You only see him with rose colored glasses on, and think he can do no wrong. Besides, it wasn't Noah, it was Puck, same guy, two personalities" Cede responded.

"He did mention something about trying to be more Noah than Puck lately, but I guess I didn't really connect the dots. Anyway, why didn't you ever tell me about the two of you" I asked.

"There wasn't much to tell. We didn't even date for a week, and before that, he barely talked to me unless we were paired up for Glee. Most of the time, he acted like he didn't even know me. Before we dated, he couldn't remember my name. He called me black girl" Cede said, rolling her eyes.

"What? You two have known each other since you were pre-teens" I said.

"I know, but after you left, and we started high school, he changed. He became Puck instead of Noah, and I've only seen glimpses of Noah ever since" Cede replied.

"From what Noah has told me, he seems to have a self-esteem issue" I said.

"There is no way Puck has self-esteem issues. He's the most confident person I know" Cede said.

"You said Puck, not Noah. I think Noah adopted this Puck persona to keep people from getting too close, and hurting him. He's been through a lot, and I don't think even he understands how everything has affected him. Because of his Puck persona, I don't think people really take the time to think about his feelings, or how their actions affect him, but he feels things just like everyone else" I said.

"I know I didn't, I was more concerned with Quinn and Finn's feelings during "Babygate." I said some horrible things to him" Cede admitted.

"You didn't even know them. Why would you take their side against Noah" I asked.

"Well, "Noah" acted like I didn't know him either" Cede defended, but quickly kept talking when I raised my eyebrow skeptically. "I know that's no excuse. I did apologize to him though, and this was before we dated, so I think he forgave me."

"I still can't believe you would do that to him. You're supposed to be the nice Jones" I reminded her.

"I was being the nice Jones. I was supporting Quinn and her choices. You know, girl power and all that jazz" Cede said.

"I'm all for girl power, but not at the expense of someone you've known for years" I told her.

"I know. Trust me I felt horrible about it. Watching him sleep like that, it's kind of hard to reconcile that he's the same person I've known for the past four years. He looks like the boy you introduced me to" Cede said.

"That's because he is. I need you to promise me that you'll look after him. No matter how Puck acts, always remember that Noah is inside, and Noah needs a lot of support" I told her.

"I will. I'm trying to be a better friend to him" Cede said.

"Alright, he's had a thirty minute nap, how about we make his day and wake him up in style" I said.

"And just how do we do that" Cede asked.

"Treat him like a Disney princess, and take turns kissing him until he wakes up" I said, noticing Cede giving me a look. "On the cheek, obviously"

"Fine, let's do this" Cede said, leaning up to kiss Noah's cheek first.

"He'll probably pretend to sleep longer just so we'll keep kissing him. Just watch" I told her, leaning down to kiss him as well.

Sure enough, Noah's eye twitched, and his lips curled into a slight smile five kisses before he opened his eyes.

"Please tell me you two are about to make me the meat in a very hot, very delicious Jones sandwich" Noah said, smirking.

"Go back to sleep boy cause you're still dreaming" Cede said.

"Come on Sexy Mama, a guy wakes up to two hot girls taking turns kissing him, what is he supposed to think" Noah asked.

"That maybe two girls have taken pity on some poor, pathetic guy who can't keep a girl, and make his day" I told him.

"Well, my day has been made, so now let's make my night" Noah said, wiggling his eyebrows at us.

"You are a hot mess" I said, pushing him onto the floor with Cede.

"Yeah, but I'm your hot mess. Sexy Mama, Krissy's not interested, so what about you" Noah asked, putting his head in Cede's lap.

"Sorry Puck, my love life is already too complicated. I don't need to add anything else to it" Cede said, stroking his head.

"You keep rubbing my head like that, and you'll have a whole mess of complications Sexy Mama" Noah told her, snuggling up to her, making Cede and I laugh.

We talked a bit more, until Uncle Michael yelled down the stairs to remind us that Cede and Noah had school, and I also had to go McKinley first thing in the morning. Cede and I walked Noah to his car, then headed to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

_Wednesday_

It's Wednesday, and I finally have a break from Coach Sylvester and Mr. Figgins to eat lunch with Cede and her friends. After making a pit stop at the football table to drop food off to Noah, I make my way to where Cede is sitting with Kurt, Blaine, Tina, Artie, Sugar, and Sam. I snag the last empty seat at the table, which was between Sam and Tina.

"What was up with Puck" Tina asked once I sat down.

"Oh, he's just happy because I gave him the last of Aunt Karen's meatloaf" I told her.

"Wait, you gave Puck my mama's meatloaf? I was planning on bringing that for lunch, but couldn't find it" Cede said.

"Sorry, he texted me after dinner, and asked me to bring whatever Aunt Karen cooked. Apparently he's missed getting her cooking regularly since I left" I said.

"I swear you baby him so much" Mercedes complained.

"Well, someone has to. Anyway, we can fight about how I treat Noah later. I want to get to know the rest of your friends, since Ms. Tina is the only one I've been able to have a conversation with, other than Noah. Oh, by the way Cede, I've decided that Tina is my new best friend, so you need to find someone else to be your bestie" I said.

"No, she doesn't. I'm Mercedes' best friend" Kurt said.

"Oh yeah, right. Anyway, Tina filled me in on lots of gossip last night, and I want to make sure I have everyone straight" I said, ignoring the look that Cede gave me.

"Oh no" Artie said.

"Don't worry, it was nothing too bad, mostly about who's dating who, who has dated who, and who should be dating who, and I gotta say, you guys are a pretty incestuous bunch" I said.

"Why are we incestuous" Sugar asked

"Because with the exception of you, Rory, Joe, and Blaine, everyone else has dated at least two people in the New Directions. You guys like to keep it in the family" I told her.

"Uh, Kurt, who else did you date in the New Directions? All the other guys are straight" Blaine said.

"Brit and I had a thing sophomore year when I was trying to impress my dad. I'm sure I told you about that" Kurt replied.

"Oh, right" Blaine responded.

"Ok, so just to make sure I have everything right, Tina and Mike are in l-u-v love, as are Kurt and Blaine, and Brittany and Santana, and Finn and Rachel, Sugar is with Rory as of Valentine's Day, Noah himself told me he is a sex shark and must remain single, which leaves Artie, Quinn, Joe, Cede and Sam as also single, right" I asked.

"Technically, Rory and I only had the one date, but everything else is right" Sugar said.

"Ok, so for my single people. Is there anyone you have your eye on" I asked.

"Well, there is this girl I had my eye on, but someone scooped her up before I could" Artie said.

"Really? A nice guy like you" I asked.

"He played the sympathy card, and I couldn't compete" Artie admitted.

"You couldn't compete with the sympathy card? I mean, Tina told me you don't let your chair hold you back, but it doesn't get more sympathetic than a nice guy in a wheelchair. Everything still works right" I asked.

"Krissy" Cede exclaimed.

"I'm not saying it to be mean or rude Cede, I'm truly curious. Artie, I'm sorry if I offended you. I tend to say whatever comes to my mind" I told him.

"No, you're fine. Yes everything works. I'd be more than happy to show you if you would like" Artie said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Please tell me you don't hang around Noah" I said.

"He was my mentor when I was a freshman. Helped me with my game" Artie admitted proudly.

"Oh dear. Moving on. Sam, what about you? I know you were the reason that Cede didn't come visit me this past summer, which I'm really trying not to hold against you, but Tina says you haven't been with anyone since you came back to McKinley. Why are you still single" I asked.

"Well, I like this one girl, but she's not interested. Plus with my track record, if I can't have her, I think I'll just stay single" Sam said.

"Your track record" I asked.

"I dated Quinn then Santana when I first came here, then Mercedes over the summer. Quinn cheated on me with Finn, and Santana dumped me for Karofsky, then Mercedes and I broke up when I moved away" Sam said.

"None of those were your fault Sam. Your family had to move, Santana was going through some things and trying to find herself, and Quinn's a bitch" I said.

"Kristina" Cede exclaimed.

"What? You know I don't like her and you know why. Sorry if that upsets anyone. Anyway, Sam, how do you know the girl you like isn't interested in you? Did you make a big gesture, like I don't know, declare your love for her in the middle of the hallway, put her name up in lights, or sing a song to her? Girls love big romantic gestures" I told him, ignoring the looks Cede was sending me.

"Yes, I did that. Even sang a song with her, but she won't budge" Sam said.

"Really? A hot guy like you, with a voice like yours? What song did you sing with her" I asked.

"Human Nature by Michael Jackson" Sam replied.

"Please tell me your mom has a slightly older version of you at home" I said.

"Sorry, I'm the oldest" Sam said.

"Ugh. There has got to be something wrong with this girl you like" I told him.

"No, she's great, she likes me too, but she said she needs space to find herself" Sam said.

"I don't know. She shouldn't waste time if she knows that you two could be something special. If I had a chance to be with Noelle's father again…, well, we won't go there. Tell you what Sam. If your girl hasn't gotten her act together by the time you turn 18, get my number from Cede, and call me the day after your birthday. I'd love to ride those li-, er, uh take you for a spin" I said, actively avoiding eye contact with Cede.

"Um, I'm sure she'll come around by then, but thanks" Sam said politely.

"Well, my offer stands. Anyway, I gotta get going. I finally have a break from torturing future Cheerios for Coach Sylvester, and substitute teaching for Mr. Figgins, even though he claims it's student teaching, and I need to start working on my new wardrobe that says yes I'm a teacher and you'd better respect me, but I'm also young enough to know the newest dance moves and understand what you're dealing with. It's a tough balance to strike" I said.

"What are you planning to teach" Blaine asked.

"High school English" I said as Noah and Mike walked up.

"If you were my English teacher, I'd actually pay attention in class" Noah said, picking me up and placing me in his lap so he could have my seat, as Mike did the same to Tina.

"Behave Noah. I was actually just leaving" I told him.

"Can I come over tonight, so you and Sexy Mama can make me a Jones sandwich again" Noah asked.

"Can I get in on that sandwich" Artie asked.

"There was no Jones sandwich. Cede and I were just playing with Noah the other night" I said.

"Yeah, playing in a way that made me thank God I'm a man" Noah replied.

"Shut up. Tell your mom I'm coming over tomorrow with Noelle. Everyone, I'll see you in Glee after school. Tina, text me" I said, getting up from Noah's lap.

"Kristina, can I come with you to look for clothes? I'm free this period, and I love a good makeover" Kurt said.

"Sure, I would never turn down help from a fashion guru like yourself" I told him.

_In the library…_

Kurt and I had been putting together outfits for me for 30 minutes when he turned to me like he had something to say.

"Go ahead and say what you want Kurt. You haven't been focused on clothes for 5 minutes" I said.

"Just, what did you mean about Tina being Mercedes' best friend. We've been best friends since sophomore year" Kurt said.

"Kurt, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but strictly from an outsider's perspective, you're not a good friend to Cede, and certainly not a best friend. I have been here for three days, and have yet to see you and Cede have a one on one conversation. I borrowed her phone yesterday, and the last time you called her was weeks ago, but she called you on Monday, but the conversation lasted less than 3 minutes. I don't know any friends who have a three minute conversation, much less best friends. Santana called her last night, and they talked for an hour. Tina came over and they talked for hours, excluding the 30 minutes Santana demanded "Aretha time". Even Noah has spent more time one on one with Cede than you have since I've been here. Now don't think Cede or Tina have said anything to me about you, you didn't even come up until we started talking about relationships. This is just my opinion based on what I've observed, and past conversations with Cede. If she knew I was even saying this to you, she would be so mad at me, not like she isn't already because of what I said regarding Sam and Quinn, but that's who she is. She accepts people for who they are, and takes what they give her. I, on the other hand, have no problem being a bitch when necessary, and calling things like I see them. You were a good friend to her, but you haven't been since you transferred to Dalton. She understands why you have distanced yourself, you found other people you have things in common with, and you have a relationship. I, as her overprotective cousin, have no problem calling you out on it, and suggesting that if you want to keep your claim on being her best friend, you need to be a better friend to her" I told him.

"Well, if you're so concerned with Mercedes and her feelings, why were you flirting with Sam in front of her" Kurt asked.

"So she would understand that Sam is a great catch, and that she shouldn't keep him waiting. I'm not interested in Sam. He's too All-American, boy next door, which is not my type. By the way, did you know Sam did all that stuff for Cede? Tina and Santana did. Noah even told me about some of it, but you looked shocked. I wonder why. Look Kurt, you're a nice guy. Cede wouldn't be friends with you if you weren't. You just need to make more of an effort when it comes to Cede. I gotta go. Figgins has me teaching freshman English next period. Thanks for your help" I said, gathering my things and leaving the library.

_Later that day…_

I was walking toward the choir room where the glee club was meeting when I was suddenly pulled into a classroom.

"Cede? The last time I was pulled into a classroom was to make out with" I started, but was cut off with a look from Cede.

"What was that at lunch" Cede asked.

"What" I responded, already knowing what she was upset about.

"What you said about Quinn, and what you said to Sam. You know how I feel about both of them" Cede said.

"Let's start with Sam, because he's the easier subject. I don't want him. Is he attractive? Yes. Is he a great guy? From what I've heard about him, yes. But I'm not interested in him. He's not my type. I just wanted you to see that if you don't act on what your heart is telling you, some girl who sees how much of a catch he is, is going to snap him up, and then where will you be" I asked.

"I know, it's just that I cheated on Shane," Cede started.

"With the guy you were meant to be with. Cede, Shane and Sam just don't compare. I could hear your smile when you would talk to me about Sam. When you talked about Shane, your voice sounded strained and tight, like you didn't even believe what you were saying. And if I'm being completely honest, which you know I am, I never even liked Shane. He was way too controlling" I told her.

"No he wasn't. He wanted the best for me. He was the only one in my corner" Cede stated.

"No he wasn't. He wanted you isolated from your friends. Thank God Santana and Brittany quit the New Directions, and joined the TroubleTones with you. He might have succeeded in making you think he was the only one concerned about you" I told her.

"Shane isn't like that. He's a nice guy" Cede replied.

"Tell me something, did Tina or Santana like him? Any of your friends" I asked.

"They just didn't understand him" Cede said.

"No Cede, if none of your friends like your boyfriend, then that means something. I love you, and I understand if this is hard to hear, but you need to let this thing with Shane go. You made a mistake, but it's not fair to keep punishing Sam for it, and certainly not fair to yourself" I told her.

"You're right. I hate it, but you're right. I just need some time to figure out how to make things up to Sam" Cede said.

"Good, now can we go" I asked.

"There's still the matter of Quinn" Cede stated.

"She's a bitch. I stand by my statement" I said unapologetically.

"She's not. She's had a hard life and" Cede started.

"You are not about to preach to me about Quinn's supposedly hard life. How was her life any harder than mine" I asked.

"It's not, it's just that she didn't know how to handle what she had to deal with" Cede said.

"I don't care about that, and you know it. I care about how she's treated you and Aunt Karen and Uncle Michael. I care that the second she popped out her baby, she dropped you like a bad habit. How many times has she been to the house since she moved out" I asked.

"This is the first time you've been at the house since you moved away" Cede countered.

"Yes, because me going to Princeton to make a better life for me and my child, and calling you multiple times a week, and inviting you to spend your vacations with me is the same as moving across town and barely speaking to you even though I see you every single day. Look Cede, I love you. I think we should agree to disagree when it comes to Quinn. I will never like or understand your relationship, and it's only going to make us fight, and I'd rather not do that with you ok" I said.

"Krissy, I know you want what's best for me, and think I accept way too little from my friends, but it's my choice. I love you and thank you for always having my back" Cede said, hugging me before we linked arms and walked out of the classroom.

"Where's Noelle" Cede asked.

"Noah picked her up from your mom, and is meeting me outside the choir room. She wants to hear you guys sing" I told her.

"Mommy, Noah got me ice cream and new toys" Noelle said when she spotted me.

"Oh did he now? Noah, how on Earth did you manage that when you only left school 30 minutes ago" I asked him.

"I may have skipped my last class completely, instead of leaving early. But in my defense, I've barely gotten to spend time with this little angel" Noah said.

"If everyone keeps spoiling this little angel, she's going to turn into a little d-e-v-i-l" I said.

"Nah, never that, right Noelle" Noah said, tickling her.

"Well, well, well, look at the happy little family" Santana said as she walked up with Brittany.

"What is it Santana" Noah asked, turning a bit so Noelle was away from Santana.

"I just find it interesting that you're standing here acting like what the two of you have done isn't wrong" Santana stated.

I started to get a feeling for where Santana was heading, so I took Noelle from Noah to see if I could send her with someone when I saw Rachel and Finn go into the choir room as Artie, Tina, Mike, and Sam stopped to see what was going on.

"Not now Santana" Cede said trying to intervene.

"No, now is a good time. She needs to know just how sick her mom is" Santana said.

"Cállate vaca estúpida" I said to Santana, before turning to Noelle. "Remember the musical we saw last month? Cede says that Rachel knows all the songs. I'm sure she would sing them for you if you ask her."

"Come on Noelle, maybe we can get Finn to show you how to play the drums too" Tina said, taking Noelle from me.

"Thanks Tina. Go ahead baby, I'll be there in a minute" I told her.

"You can't protect her from finding out what a slut you are. Eventually, she's going to realize what you are" Santana said.

"What are you talking about, and where is this coming from? I apologized for ignoring you Monday, and we were having a good conversation before that, so I'm not sure why you're attacking me now" I said.

"Don't try to act like you're so innocent. Come on, Noelle, Noah. Please tell me you guys aren't that stupid" Santana said to Mike, Artie, and Sam.

"Santana, you're way off here" Noah said.

"Yeah, he's right Santana. It's not what you think" Cede added.

"What I think is your cousin is a flipping child molester who screwed Puck, got pregnant, ran away, and now wants to play happy family with him" Santana said.

"Look here little girl, the only reason I haven't taken this blade out of my mouth and cut your ass just walked into that classroom with Tina, but trust, if you say something like that again, I will show you how different I am than Mercedes. She has you thinking that all us Jones's are turn the other cheek Christians, but my side of the family is nothing but black sheep. Maybe you should ask before you start making crazy accusations like that" I said.

"So you're saying Puck isn't Noelle's father" Brittany said.

"No, he's not. I wouldn't have sex with Noah if the fate of the human race depended on it" I told her.

"Wow, way to stroke my ego Krissy" Noah said.

"You know I love you, but I still see you as that cute little six year old I met when I was in fourth grade. I could never go there with you" I told him.

"Well, you didn't meet me when I was six, so how bout it" Artie said.

"You're a mess" I replied.

"Wait, if Puck isn't Noelle's father, then who is, and why are you two so close" Santana asked, not giving up her fire just yet.

"Noah's cousin Justin is Noelle's father, and I'd really rather not talk about it" I said.

"Yeah, let's get to practice before Mr. Schue comes looking for us" Mike said as he and Sam maneuvered Brittany and Santana away from me, Puck, and Cede, and into the classroom.

"Are you ok Krissy" Noah asked, pulling me into a hug.

"I'm fine. Why is she so crazy about you" I asked.

"Puckasaurus put it down on her" Noah replied

"You were her first" I asked.

"Yeah, we go way back" Noah said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh god" I said, breaking our hug.

"Kristina, do you really keep a blade in your mouth" Artie asked.

"Absolutely" I said, showing him.

"Damn ma, remind me to stay on your good side. Do you want a ride" Artie asked.

"How come you've never offered me a ride" Cede asked.

"You know you're my musical baby mama, but Kristina could be my actual baby mama" Artie replied.

"You are too much Artie, but I'd love a ride" I told him as we went into the classroom just before Mr. Schuester started rehearsal.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thursday evening_

"Oh, you finally decided to make time for us two old fogies huh" Uncle Michael said as I joined him and Aunt Karen in the family room after dinner.

"I've been busy. It's not like I have been purposely avoiding you so that I don't have to talk about things I would rather avoid, or anything" I told them facetiously.

"Yes, well, now is the time. I'll start out easy. How's it been being back at McKinley" Aunt Karen asked.

"It's weird. I know I'm an adult and I graduated from there a while ago, but everyone there was my teacher, or an authority figure in some way, so I still feel like a kid around them. Mr. Schue keeps telling me I can call him Will, but I just can't. Coach Sylvester told me I was in charge of the JV squad this week, and I didn't even try to put up a fight, I just started whipping them into shape like I was Cheerio captain again. She complimented me on my high pony and ability to still do her crazy stunts, and I smiled so hard it was embarrassing. I felt so awkward in the teacher's lounge with my former teachers Monday, that I've just been avoiding it. Tuesday, I hid out in me and Justin's favorite spot for the fifteen minutes I could catch my breath, and yesterday and today, I sat in the cafeteria with Cede and her friends" I told her.

"And how was it being there without Justin" Uncle Michael asked.

"I try not to think about it too much. When I was in our spot, I was hit with way so many memories, or when I'm walking the halls by myself, I'll get a flashback, but it's ok. McKinley holds mostly good memories for me" I replied.

"Are you going to see Justin while you're here" Aunt Karen asked.

"I haven't decided. I know I should, but I'm not ready. I'm not sure I'm strong enough to face him yet" I told her.

"That's ok cupcake. You'll see him when you're ready" Uncle Michael replied.

"How have things been with Cede's friends? I know you've been spending a lot of time with them" Aunt Karen said.

"It's been nice. They seem like the type of people who will be together forever. Like I knew my high school friends would only be my high school friends. I knew we wouldn't keep in touch, no matter how much we said we would, though Facebook makes it easier to keep tabs on each other, but the New Directions seem really close. I can see them all being in each other's weddings, especially since most of them will just be marrying another member of the group. They're the type to raise their kids together, and probably name one or two after another member of the group" I said.

"They are really close. Their relationships have changed, but overall, they know they can rely on each other" Aunt Karen said.

"They're definitely an interesting group of kids" Uncle Michael added.

"I like that they're all so different. It's been great to have a crash course in teens before I start teaching" I told them.

"Have you been getting along with all of them" Aunt Karen asked.

"Well, Santana and I had words over Noah…" I started.

"Wait, didn't Cede have words with her about him when they dated" Uncle Michael asked.

"Yes, but I doubt it was for the same reason as Krissy" Aunt Karen said.

"It kind of was. She thought Noah was Noelle's father. She tried calling me out in front of Noelle, but Tina appeared, and took Noelle, then I straightened Santana out" I told them.

"Is that what you and Cede were fighting about last night" Uncle Michael asked.

"No, Cede was there when Santana confronted me. I also had words with Kurt, which Cede didn't like" I said.

"You argued with Kurt" Aunt Karen asked.

"No, I just told him he was a bad friend to Cede. She felt that I shouldn't have said anything to him, and I disagreed" I said.

"Not that I disagree with you, but why would you tell Kurt that he was a bad friend. That seems a little random" Uncle Michael said.

"Well, when I ate lunch with Cede and a lot of her friends yesterday, I told Cede that she would need to find a new best friend because I was claiming Tina as mine. When Kurt and I were alone looking at clothes for me, he asked me what I meant by that, and since I'm not one to hold my tongue, I let him know how I felt" I said.

"Why on Earth would you tell Cede about that" Aunt Karen asked.

"Cede asked how our fashion session went, and I told her. Why lie or hide it" I asked nonchalantly.

"If you told Kurt that, I can't imagine what you've said to Quinn" Uncle Michael said.

"I haven't said a thing to Quinn" I replied.

"You held your tongue against her" Aunt Karen questioned.

"No, I just haven't said anything to her. She avoids Cede like the plague, or at least she has this week. I did however call her a something I'm not going to say in front of the two of you, which rhymes with witch, but it was Sam's fault because he brought her up. Cede drug me into a classroom to let me know that she didn't appreciate what I said about Quinn, or to Sam, but I stood my ground, and we agreed to disagree where Quinn is concerned, though we did agree on Sam" I said.

"And what did you two decide on regarding Sam" Uncle Michael asked.

"That he was a good guy. The right guy for her right now, and that she shouldn't keep punishing herself because of Shane" I said.

"You convinced her to give up on Shane? That's good. I never liked that boy" Aunt Karen admitted.

"Did you tell her that" I asked.

"No, we made a decision to keep our opinions about who our children date to ourselves. Everyone figures things out eventually" Aunt Karen said.

"Your opinion matters. I'm sure Cede would tell you the same thing if you told her that. She's wasted so much time and energy on him. He came into her life for a reason, and if you would have spoken up, he probably wouldn't have overstayed his welcome" I said.

"Huh, you don't like him either I take it" Uncle Michael said.

"My razor tingles whenever I think about him. I'm just glad I haven't seen him yet" I answered.

"You still carry that thing? I thought you would've grown out of that by now" Aunt Karen said.

"I only carry it when I have to be out at night, or when I'm in Lima. I usually keep it in my glove box, but it's like a security blanket for me. Sometimes it's the only thing that makes me feel safe, which I know came from childhood, but I can't give it up yet" I told her.

"Yes, I'm really sorry about that cupcake. If I could have stepped in sooner, I would have" Uncle Michael said.

"I know, I just… Can we talk about something else? I'm not… I can't" I stammered.

"In the future would you like me to tell Mercedes exactly what I think of her boyfriends" Aunt Karen asked, not missing a beat.

"Mine too" I told her.

"What about MJ" Uncle Michael asked.

"Cede, Noelle and I have him covered. He will only be with someone worthy of him. Tell us if you don't like someone he brings home, and we will make her disappear" I told them.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that" Uncle Michael said.

"I love it. It keeps my hands clean, and my baby safe" Aunt Karen said.

"Just don't ask us for details. You'll need plausible deniability" I said.

"Alright, moving on. How was your visit to the Puckermans this afternoon" Uncle Michael asked.

"It was great. Ms. Becca is still super sweet, Sarah is still a handful, and Noah is Noah. Sarah said that Noelle had to stay here with her, so I invited her to spend one of her vacations with us instead. Ms. Becca gave Noelle some of Justin's things they found around their house after I moved away, along with some home movies, and Sarah and Noah told a bunch of stories about Justin, some of which I didn't even know. I had to promise to keep in touch better with them before Ms. Becca would let Noelle and I leave. Noah set her up a Skype account so we can see each other when we talk" I told them.

"I was so glad when MJ set that up for us" Aunt Karen said.

"Cupcake, come sit next to your auntie" Uncle Michael said, moving to the loveseat I had previously been sitting on.

"Angel, how was your visit Tuesday? I know you've been avoiding talking about it, even to Cede, but your uncle and I need to know" Aunt Karen said.

"Why? It's not like you knowing will change anything" I said.

"Cupcake, we want to support you, but we can't if we don't know what you need" Uncle Michael said.

"I need the two of you to just be you, and promise to always love me no matter what" I said tearfully.

"Angel, you know we love you. Listen to me and understand what I am saying. There is nothing you could ever do to make us stop loving you. I am so sorry that your parents ever made you feel like that was an option. It's not one for us, and it shouldn't have been for them" Aunt Karen said pulling me into a strong hug.

"Cupcake, God knows I love my brother, but the way he treated you… I know our parents are rolling in their graves. They raised him better than that" Uncle Michael said, moving to kneel in front of me.

"I wish you two were my parents instead of them" I said

"Angel, you're ours in every way that matters. You have to know that" Aunt Karen said.

"I know, it's just… I used to be so jealous of Cede and MJ. I had to jump through so many hoops in order for my parents to somewhat love me, and all they had to do was breathe, and you acted as if the stars shone only for them. And you never called them by their names they were always baby girl and princess, or baby boy and Mr. Man. I know it's irrational to equate being called by a nickname with a parent's love, but I can't help it. Noelle knows that I only call her Noelle when I need to make sure she understands that I'm being serious. My parents have never called me anything but Kristina. I would've given my right arm for them to call me by a nickname just once. I would have even settled for Krissy or Tina. Promise me that no matter how old I get, you'll never stop calling me Angel and Cupcake" I said.

"You will always be my angel" Aunt Karen said.

"And you're my cupcake until the day I die" Uncle Michael added.

"Thank you" I said.

"Now, about your visit" Uncle Michael started.

"I'm not telling you what was said, because Aunt Karen is going to want to strangle my mom on Saturday. Just know that nothing has changed" I said.

"I'm sorry Angel, is there anything we can do" Aunt Karen said, silently communicating with Uncle Michael.

"Can you sing my song please? I want to be wrapped up in love" I said, lying down so my head was in her lap.

Aunt Karen began singing "I Hope You Dance" by LeAnn Womack, while running her hand through my hair, instantly calming me. I hadn't realized that I had fallen asleep until Cede came in the living room to let us know she was putting Noelle to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: This was my longest chapter so far, over 10,000 words, so I split it into two separate chapters where I could find a natural stopping point, part 2 will be posted by Friday. The song in this chapter is "Count On Me by Whitney Houston and Cece Winans. I always wanted Mercedes to sing it with Santana or Unique, but it was not meant to be. Mowatts 87, thank you for your reviews. We find out about Justin in this chapter.**

_Friday (pt1)_

"Mr. Schue, why didn't you ever tell us you could sing. You were my teacher for two years, and the first I ever heard of it was when Cede told me you were taking over glee club" I said as I helped Mr. Schuster set up for glee club.

"There wasn't a need. Plus, could you imagine how you guys would have reacted to me trying to make glee club cool? Even you probably would have laughed at me" Mr. Schue replied.

"Probably, but come on, can you imagine how interested we all would have been in Spanish if you had broken out into song? Or even rapped in Spanish? You would have blown us away" I told him.

"Yeah, I tried singing in Spanish, and ended up becoming the history teacher" Mr. Schue said.

"But that was more of an act than a lesson, and Cede told me you were trying to prove something to Mr. Martinez and Santana" I said.

"I hate to admit it, but that's true, although I do love history more than I did Spanish. How are you doing with the kids? Any problems" Mr. Schue asked.

"Teaching wise, no. Artie has a bit of a crush on me, and Santana had an issue with me, but it's been handled" I told him.

"Why am I not surprised that Santana gave you problems. What happened" Mr. Schue asked.

"She was being really aggressive, and tried to say some inappropriate things in front of Noelle, so I switched to Spanish, called her a stupid cow, and told her to shut up. Then sent Noelle in here with Tina so I could handle Santana without having to watch my words or my actions" I told him.

"Wait is that what took everyone so long to get in here Wednesday? I was missing half my club. I wondered why Sam and Mike looked so stressed when they all but dragged Brit and Santana in here. Though the boys looked worse than the girls, so I'm guessing it didn't get physical" Mr. Schue said.

"No, I told her off, threatened to cut her, then asked her what her problem was" I said.

"What was it" Mr. Schue asked.

"She thought Noelle was Noah's daughter. I set her straight and that was that" I told him.

"I'm glad neither of you got physical. You know you won't be able to use your razor on your kids right?" Mr. Schue asked.

"I know. It's just a habit to go for the razor, or at least threaten it, I've very rarely had to use it, and I really only do it in Lima. I'll make sure my kids know that talking is better than fighting. Speaking of kids, do you really think yours will want to hear what I have to say" I asked.

"Of course they will. You've lived a hard life, made hard choices, but look at you. You're graduating from Princeton at the top of your class, while raising a child on your own, about to start teaching at one of the best schools in the country, and you know where you came from. Believe it or not, you're an inspiration. And even if they're not interested, with Puck and Mercedes on your side, they'll at least pretend like they're listening."Mr. Schue assured me.

"Alright, if you're sure" I said as the kids came in and found their seats.

"Alright guys, listen up. Today, we're gonna do things a little differently. We are going to hear from Kristina Jones. She's someone who's faced many obstacles, but has still managed to reach her goals and accomplish her dreams, even though they aren't in the arts" Mr. Schue announced.

"Hold up Mr. Schue. I need to speak with my cousin for a minute" Cede said, dragging me into a corner out of everyone's earshot.

"Cede, I'm fine. My therapist has been telling me I need to talk about what happened with someone other than just her, and you've always said how understanding and non-judgmental everyone in here is, so I figured this was as good a place as any. Plus, the only people in here who really know me are you, Noah, and Mr. Schue, so no else has any expectations of me" I told her.

"Are you sure? I mean, are you gonna tell your whole story? Even about…" Cede asked.

"All of it. My therapist said I need to talk about what happened so I can start to let go" I said.

"Ok, if you're sure. Just give me a signal if it gets to be too much, and I'll get you out of here" Cede said.

"Thank you, but it won't be necessary" I told her as she returned to her seat and I went to the stool I had set up.

"Hope I'm not interrupting, but this munchkin told me that the Jones's were singing, and I absolutely couldn't believe it. I mean, there's no way that my star Cheerio for three and a half years, the first freshman I ever let on my squad can sing like her cousin Aretha, and never let me know it" Coach Sylvester said as she and Noelle entered the room, Noelle heading straight for Noah.

"We weren't planning to sing" Cede at the same time I said "I can't sing like Cede."

"Please mommy, please Cede? Can you sing my song" Noelle asked, pouting.

"Yeah mommy, please sing her song" Noah added, also pouting.

"Kristina was just planning on talking to the kids" Mr. Schue said, noticing my discomfort.

"Right, and Cede and I haven't practiced anything, and the band might not know the song" I said.

"The band knows literally every song. They're amazing. We're singing" Cede said, going to whisper to the band.

"Cede, I don't sing in public" I whispered to her when she pulled up a stool and sat next to me.

"You said you wanted to let go of what happened. You might as well let go of everything" Cede whispered back.

"I hate it when you're right" I told her.

"I know" Cede replied, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Ok, everyone, apparently Cede and I are going to sing before I tell you my story. This song means a lot to me, and got me through an extremely difficult time in my life, so I hope you enjoy it" I said, Cede signaling the band after I finished speaking.

_Mercedes _**Kristina **_**Both**_

_**Count on me through thick and thin  
A friendship that will never end  
When you are weak  
I will be strong  
Helping you to carry on  
Call on me, I will be there  
Don't be afraid  
Please believe me when I say  
Count on...**_

_I can see it's hurting you  
I can feel your pain  
It's hard to see the sunshine through the rain  
I know sometimes it seems as if  
It's never gonna end  
But you'll get through it  
Just don't give in cause you can_

**Count on me** (_mm_) **through thick and thin**  
**A friendship that will never end** _(ah)_  
_**When you are weak  
I will be strong  
Helping you to carry on  
Call on me, I will be there  
Don't be afraid  
Please believe me when I say  
Count on...**_  
_You can count on me_

_Oh yes you can (ah)_  
**Oo, I know sometimes it seems as if  
We're standing all alone  
But we'll get through it  
Cuz love won't let us fall**

_Count on me_ (**count on me, i'll be there**) _through thick and thin_  
_A friendship that will never end  
When you are weak  
I will be strong_ (**I'll be strong)**  
_Helping you to carry on_ (**yes, you know)**  
_**Call on me, I will be there  
Don't be afraid  
Please believe me when I say**_  
_**Count on...  
Count on...**_

_There's a place inside all of us  
Where our faith in love begins  
You should reach to find the truth in love  
The answers' there within, oh_**  
I know that life can make you feel  
It's much harder than it really is  
But we'll get through it** _(we'll get through it)_  
_(Just)_** Just** _(don't)_ **don't **_**give in**_ _(oh)_

Chorus:  
_Count on me_ (**count on me)** _through thick and thin_  
_A friendship that will never end (_**it'll never end)**  
_When you are weak_ **(you)**  
_I will be strong_ **(I will be strong)**  
_Helping you to carry on  
Call on me, I will be there_  
_Don't be afraid_ **(don't be afraid now)  
**_Please believe me_ _**when I say**_  
_**Count on**_  
_Count on_  
**Count on**  
_Count on_  
**Count on**  
_**Count on me**_  
_Oh yes you can_  
**I know I can**  
_Yes you can_  
**Yeah**  
_So glad I can_, _**count on me**_

"Mommy that was pretty" Noelle said, running up to me once Cede and I finished.

"Thank you baby" I said, hugging her.

"Kristina Jones, I can't believe you hid that from me. You have got some serious explaining to do. Come on munchkin, it's time to torture some future Cheerios. Your mom has me feeling things" Coach Sylvester said, tucking Noelle under her arm and leaving.

"Wow Kristina, and you were talking about me not telling you I could sing. You just blew me away. And Mercedes… wow, just wow. Ladies, that was amazing" Mr. Schue said as everyone applauded and Cede took her seat.

"Thank you. Wow, that was my first time singing in public since I was nine years old, and it felt really good" I said.

"Why haven't you been singing? Your voice is amazing" Rachel commented.

"Well, it's… my parents were, well, they were" I started, but was interrupted by Noah.

"Douchebags" Noah offered.

"Puck" Mr. Schue warned.

"Well, he's not wrong" Cede said, causing everyone to turn and look at her.

"What I was going to say is they were the type of parents who wanted me to excel in what I did, and wanted me to focus on what I was best at" I explained.

"Umm, what made them think you didn't excel at singing? I could listen to you and Mercedes sing all day" Tina said.

"I lost the talent show at our family reunion to Cede when she was five and I was nine, and my parents suggested that I focus on something else, and stop singing since I could never be as good as Cede" I said.

"I agree with Puck, your parents were douchebags" Santana said, with everyone nodding in agreement.

"Guys, it's not cool to call people's parents names" Mr. Schue said.

"Mr. Schue, it's fine. I've called them worse. Anyway, it turned out for the best, I focused on dance and gymnastics, joined my elementary school cheerleading squad, was captain of my middle school squad, and became the first ever freshman Cheerio, and ended up captain of the Cheerios as well. I got a scholarship to Princeton, and will be coaching the squad where I'll be teaching in the fall, so they pretty much did me a favor" I said.

"But they made you give up singing. That's not cool" Sam said.

"I still sang, just not in public, or around them. I sang with Cede all the time, and once I got comfortable with Noah and his family, I sang around them too" I said.

"Just how long have you known Puck" Finn asked.

"We met when Noah was six and I was ten. I was partnered with his cousin Justin on a project because our teacher thought we would balance each other out. Because of my parents, I was a huge people pleaser, and Justin was the ultimate bad boy, already on the verge of expulsion, so our teacher put us together because she felt my good qualities would rub off on Justin and that he would help me to relax and not care so much about what people thought of me. We started off rough, but once I explained to him that I had never gotten anything less than an A, and was not about to start because of him, we got along great. We ended up acing our project, his first time, and we just became inseparable. We started hanging out all the time, but neither of us wanted to hang out at our house, so we hung out at Noah's house because I wasn't allowed at Cede's house" I said before I was interrupted.

"Wait, why wouldn't you be allowed at your cousins' house" Blaine asked.

"My dad has always been jealous of Cede's dad, and would find the smallest things to pick a fight with him about, and when they were fighting, no daughter of his was allowed in that stuck up, two faced loser's house, his words not mine. My dad always said my Uncle Michael thought he was better than him because we lived in Lima Heights, when that was the furthest thing from the truth" I said.

"Wait a minute, you are from Lima Heights" Santana asked.

"Yep, born and bred" I told her.

"So when you said you had a blade in your mouth the other day" Santana said.

"You were three seconds from getting that pretty little face of yours carved up" I said, flashing her my razor blade.

"I bow to you" Santana said, pretending to bow.

"You don't look like someone who would live in Lima Heights" Quinn said.

"I know. I heard it all the time growing up. My next door neighbor was the toughest girl in the neighborhood, and she took me under her wing. She said I didn't look like I belonged in Lima Heights, and that a lot of girls would try to check me, so she taught me how to fight, and carry a blade. I've only actually used it once, though I've come close several times" I said.

"One of those times was the day we met" Mr. Schue said.

"Mr. Schue, you know she had it coming. She knew Justin and I had been together since the eighth grade, and for her to try to get with him the day before junior year started, well, let's just say she's lucky all I did was threaten her" I said.

"I couldn't believe you were the same person the entire staff raved about" Mr. Schue said.

"Well, that wasn't the most ideal way to meet the new teacher, but you can't say I didn't leave a lasting impression on you" I said.

"That you did" Mr. Schue agreed.

"Can you teach me to hold a blade under my tongue" Tina asked.

"Sure just make sure you remember to take it out before you make out with anybody. I forgot once with Justin, and it was not pretty. He refused to kiss me for almost two weeks" I told her.

"That was March of your junior year right? The staff couldn't figure out which was getting shorter, your skirt or Justin's temper" Mr. Schue added when everyone looked at him.

"He thought he could resist me, I had to prove that he couldn't" I said proudly.

"I can't resist you either, so stop playing and be my baby mama" Artie said.

"You are too much for me to handle Artie" I told him.

"Artie, please stop lusting after my cousin. Keep going Krissy" Cede said, rolling her eyes.

"Right, where was I" I asked, talking more to myself than anyone else.

"You were about to tell us about the one time you actually had to use your blade" Santana offered.

"Seriously? Ok, it was the middle of freshman year, and this junior decided that she just had to have Justin, and she just wouldn't take no for an answer. She cornered Justin in the hall, and wouldn't leave him alone, and at first, I just stood back and watched, cause I'm not completely psycho, and he could talk to other girls, but she put her hands on him and tried to kiss him. I saw red, and before I could think, I jumped on her, and cut her face. Coach Sylvester appeared out of nowhere, grabbed me off of her, told me to meet her in her office, and told that girl and everyone else in the hall to forget what happened. Before I left, I laid a huge kiss on Justin, growled mine, and shoved that girl against the locker. Word got around school about what happened, but I didn't get in trouble, except for with Coach, but she made sure it didn't go on my record. Not my proudest moment, but…" I said.

"But people knew not to mess with you or your man" Santana said.

"Plus I'm sure that whatever Coach Sylvester came up with was way harsher than any other punishment" Quinn added.

"Wait, if everyone here knew about you and Justin and what you did to that girl, how come that girl your junior year wasn't scared of you" Finn asked.

"She didn't go to McKinley, so she hadn't heard about it, but she knew us in middle school and should have known better" I said.

"Let's get back on track guys" Mr. Schue said.

"Right, sorry Mr. Schue. Anyway, I'm supposed to be talking to you guys about my choices and where I'm headed, so if you guys have a question, go ahead and toss it out, and I'll answer it as honestly as I can" I said.

"I have a question? How did you end up staying a Cheerio after you were pregnant? I looked at pictures of the Cheerios, and you were standing front and center your senior year, right next to Coach Sylvester. She kicked me off the squad the second she found out I was pregnant" Quinn said.

"Well, I was planning to quit when I found out I was pregnant, and someone overheard Justin and I talking about it, but not why, and word spread around the school before I could talk to her, and when she found out, she went on and on about how no one quits her Cheerios. She demanded to know why I would dare try to quit, and when I told her, she got scarily quiet. Eventually, she decided I wouldn't be allowed to quit, but she couldn't kick me off the squad, because people already knew what I was planning to do, so in order to save face, she decided I would be head choreographer, and my best friend was moved to Cheerio captain. We kept our winning streak, and that was that. She was extremely disappointed in me, but didn't want to hold me back. She sent a letter of recommendation to Princeton for me, and had most of my teachers do the same after they tried to rescind my scholarship" I said.

"We know the teachers here are way involved in our lives, so who had the worst reaction to your pregnancy" Tina asked.

"Um, I don't actually know. I mean, I'm sure they talked about me, how often does the class valedictorian/ Cheerio captain get pregnant while still in high school? But Coach Sylvester shielded me from a lot, and I know Mr. Schue did too." I said smiling at him. "The person with the worst reaction in school was my cousin MJ. He and Justin got into a huge fight about it. Justin and I had decided to wait and not tell anyone about the baby yet, so when MJ confronted Justin about it, Justin acted like he didn't know what MJ was talking about, which pissed MJ off. MJ is a year younger than me, but he's just as protective of me as he is of Cede. I found out about their fight from my best friend, and I read them both the riot act. I went off on them so bad that no one wanted to punish them. I did feel bad when I found out why they were fighting though" I said.

"If no one knew you were pregnant, how did MJ find out" Mike asked.

"We were playing around in the hall, and he pretended like he was going to hit me, and I instinctively covered my stomach, rather than try to hit him first, which wasn't normal. I didn't even think anything of it, but it gave MJ pause, and rather than asking me about it, he went to talk to Justin" I said.

"Did they make up?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, Justin saw MJ as a little brother, so he made sure they were straight that night, and I explained to MJ why we were keeping things quiet" I said.

"How did your parents take the news" Blaine asked.

"Not well" I said.

"That's an understatement" Noah said.

"Puck" Mr. Schue warned.

"Noah is right. My parents went ballistic. My mom told me to get an abortion, and when I said no, my dad gave me five minutes to get out of his house. I called Justin, and he told me to go to Noah's house. He and MJ met me there, I told them what happened, and MJ called his parents. Aunt Karen and Uncle Michael came over with Cede, asked exactly what happened, I told them, and Aunt Karen and Noah's mom literally had to hold Uncle Michael down. Eventually, Uncle Michael calmed down and left. He came back even madder, and sent us upstairs. Cede and Noah's sister, Sarah, were nominated as spies, and they told us that the adults were discussing what happened with my parents, which is where Uncle Michael had gone. They both came back into Noah's room crying, but refused to tell me what was said. MJ went to spy, and Noah finally got Sarah to crack" I said, pausing to take a deep breath. Santana got up from her seat, and sat on Cede's empty stool and held my hand.

"I can tell where this is going, and I know what it's like to not have support from the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally" Santana said.

"Thank you" I said, giving her a small smile. "They told Uncle Michael that I was dead to them, and they regretted my existence. I started crying, Noah and Justin were ready to fight, and Sarah and Cede started alternating between crying and getting into fighting mode. MJ came back to tell us that the adults were arguing about what should happen, found me crying, and demanded to know what had been said. That made him jump into fighting mode as well, so Cede and I had to calm all three of the boys down, as well as Sarah who had switched back to fighting mode while telling MJ what had been said" I said.

"I still say you should have let us go talk to your parents" Noah said.

"That wouldn't have changed anything, or made anything better" I told him.

"It would have made us feel better" Noah mumbled.

"Maybe for a day or two, but nothing would have been resolved. Anyway, MJ calmed down and went back to spying with Sarah, and the adults said something that made MJ actually go downstairs. Sarah came running back into the room and told us that MJ went down, so we all went down, and Uncle Michael told Justin and Noah to follow him and MJ in Justin's truck. When the guys left, Aunt Karen told us that they had been discussing where I would live since I couldn't stay with my parents anymore. Ms. Becca had said I could stay with her, Sarah, and Noah, but Aunt Karen and Uncle Michael said she didn't have the space for me to live with her, and they wanted me to live with them. They were trying to figure out where I would stay when MJ went downstairs and told them he wanted to live in the basement because he was almost a man and needed the extra space, and sharing a bathroom with his thirteen year old sister wasn't working for him." I said.

"MJ gave up his room for you" Sugar asked.

"According to him, he didn't, but yes. He said he was planning to ask if he could move down there before he started his senior year, which would've been believable if he hadn't moved back upstairs when I left for Princeton. But the fact that he would make that sacrifice for me, that Uncle Michael and Aunt Karen would open their home to me, that Ms. Becca would offer hers, that Noah, Sarah, and Cede would rally around me, it showed me that even though my parents didn't love me, I had plenty of family that did, and that was all that mattered" I said, resting my head on Santana's shoulder after she scooted closer and wrapped her arm around me.

"Did you ever feel like you were in over your head, or that you were missing out on something" Tina asked.

"I felt I was in over my head from the day the hospital sent me home with Noelle. And I just sat and cried for hours when Aunt Karen left us in Princeton to come back here for Cede and MJ. She told me that I could handle anything that would be thrown at me and she was only a phone call away. Cede and MJ told her to stay with me longer, but with it being their freshman and senior years respectively, I knew she wanted to get back to them, and they needed her back. Eventually, I got my footing, and I was able to get Noelle into a routine, and my crying phone calls to Aunt Karen became less and less frequent. Aunt Karen and Uncle Michael had started a college fund for me that I didn't know about when I was a kid because they didn't want my parents lack of foresight to prevent me from going to whatever college I wanted to, and that paid for everything my scholarship didn't cover, so money really wasn't an issue. They felt that going to college and caring for a newborn by myself halfway across the country from everyone and everything I'd ever known would be stressful enough, and didn't want me to have an extra burden of figuring out how I was going to pay for everything, so that was a huge blessing. Now as to whether or not I ever felt like I was missing out on anything, there were definitely times when that was the case. Whenever I would check Facebook and see the fun my friends were having at parties, and on spring break, I would feel down, and wonder if I had made the right choice. Wonder if I was being selfish by keeping Noelle, and whether or not I could give her a good life. Wonder if I had made a mistake by giving up my parents in order to keep her, but then I would look at her, and I knew. I just knew I had made the right choice. Yeah, I had to grow up really fast, but she makes my life so much better. She's this bright, shiny spot when the rest of the world is dull and gray. She's the driving force behind my need to succeed. When I walk across the stage in a few months, I know she'll be proud of me even though she might not even know what that means. What I gave up is nothing compared to what I get from her each and every day. Besides, if Noelle didn't exist, and Justin and I had gone to Princeton together like we'd planned, I still wouldn't have had the "normal" college experiences like getting drunk and making out or hooking up with random people, or experimenting with my sexuality" I said before being interrupted.

"I can help you out with the making out or hooking up problem" Artie offered.

"And I can help with the experimentation thing" Santana added, releasing me a little so she could look at me.

"Santana" Brittany said, giving Santana a look.

"Oh, I mean Brit and I can help with the experimentation thing, and a threesome, because I'm 99% sure you haven't had one of those" Santana said.

"Thank you for the offers, but I'll have to pass" I said, laughing along with everyone else.

"OK, I hate to be a Negative Nancy or whatever, but come on, a Puckerman at Princeton? And how come I've never heard of this Justin person? I lived with the Puckermans and the Jones's, and he was never mentioned by anyone" Quinn said, causing many people to turn and glare at her.

"He wasn't a Puckerman. He was from my ma's side of the family, and he was special" Noah said.

"You have no idea Quinn" Cede added.

"God Q, do you always have to be such a bitch" Santana asked, wrapping her arm around me again when she felt a shift in the atmosphere.

"Like Noah said, he wasn't a Puckerman. Not that a Puckerman couldn't get into Princeton if they wanted to. He was accepted on a full scholarship just like I was. And you of all people should be thankful that we are not defined by our last name, otherwise, Cede would be a rude selfish bitch who doesn't care about anyone outside of her very small circle, instead of a kind, caring person who would" I started, but was cut off by Cede.

"Kristina that's enough. Besides, my genes would totally overpower your genes, and you'd be just as nice as I am" Cede countered, trying to calm me down.

"Sorry, you know how I feel about the Puckermans, and no, your genes would politely let mine take over because they don't like conflict" I replied, sticking my tongue out at her.

"How do you feel about the Puckermans" Noah asked, picking up on Cede's "calm Krissy down" vibe.

"Well, with the exception of Paul Puckerman who is a completely useless as-, um douchebag, I'd fight to the death for any of them, and no one should ever say anything negative about Noah, Sarah, or Ms. Becca in my presence" I said.

"Kristina, what happened to Justin" Brittany asked.

"Guys, maybe we should" Mr. Schue started.

"It's ok Mr. Schue. Justin was killed the day Noelle was born" I said.

"Kristina, you don't have to continue" Tina said.

"If Noah doesn't mind, I'd like to tell you guys what happened" I said.

"Are you sure Krissy" Noah asked, taking Santana's seat, as she went to sit next to Cede.

"Yeah, I think it's important" I told him.

"Ok, I'm here for you" he said, holding my hand.

"We were at a graduation party a couple days after we graduated, and though the alcohol was flowing, neither of us were drinking, me because I was pregnant, and Justin because he was being supportive. Anyway, we were just enjoying the last days we had with our friends before we all went our separate ways, when a friend of Justin's called him to see if he wanted to hang with some of the football team for one last hurrah. MJ was coming to pick me up to go to Cede's year-end recital, so I told him to go ahead. His friend got there at the same time as MJ, so we made plans to meet up later and MJ and I left. Justin called me when we were a few blocks away and asked us to come back because he was going to come to Cede's recital after all. After Justin had gotten in the car with his friend, he realized that he'd been drinking, so he asked him to pull over and let him out, which he started to do until Justin called me. He started freaking out on Justin about how my family and I were ruining his life, and that he never had time for anyone else, and he was going to hang out with the guys whether he wanted to or not. Apparently he had started speeding because Justin started yelling for him to slow down, and MJ was trying to talk Justin's friend down too because Justin and I were both on speaker, and I was freaking out about what was going on with Justin. Eventually, MJ and I caught up to the car Justin was in, just before the driver lost control, and ran into a tree. Justin was thrown from the car, and all I could do was watch. MJ and I got out of our car and ran to Justin, and I just remember there being so much blood. He was trying to talk, even though MJ told him it was best if he saved his strength. He told MJ that he loved him and to make sure he took care of his sisters, meaning Cede and Sarah, and to watch over Noah, and be a good example for him. Then he told MJ to leave us alone for a minute. He told me that he loved me, and wanted me to find love and happiness after him. He promised that he would always watch over me, and would always be there when I needed him. The last thing he said was that he loved our daughter Noelle Mercedes Jones. Then he died in my arms. By then the police had arrived, along with the EMTs, and they pulled us apart to try to revive him, but it was too late. MJ pulled me into his lap and we cried together before I realized something was incredibly wrong. MJ got the attention of one of the EMTs and asked them to take a look at me, and they told me I was in labor. At this point, I was only seven months pregnant, and not ready to give birth. MJ called Aunt Karen who told him to follow me to the hospital and she and Ms. Becca would meet us there. Eventually, I had the baby, and gave her the name Justin told me, Noelle Mercedes Jones, after both of our favorite cousins. She spent six weeks in the hospital, and about a month after being home, we were headed to Princeton. Eventually, the police contacted Ms. Becca to let her know that if the driver hadn't been drunk, the accident wouldn't have happened. Once I found that out, I swore to never come back to this godforsaken town" I said.

"Why did you come back" Finn asked.

"There was a family emergency, and Uncle Michael strongly suggested that I come back and deal with things, but things haven't changed, at least not with my family" I said.

"Your parents still won't accept you even after all you've been through and accomplished" Santana asked.

"My mom won't. My dad can't. He's the family emergency. He died last week, and Uncle Michael felt now would be a good time to try to make amends with my mom, and he was right. No matter how she treated me, she's the only mom I have, so I went to visit her Tuesday, and she told me that I should have died instead of Justin, then she wouldn't have had to live with the stigma of her daughter being a teenage mother. She said that for all intents and purposes, her daughter had died that day, and if I showed up at the funeral, she would have me arrested" I said.

"You didn't tell me that" Noah and Cede said simultaneously.

"Does knowing that change anything" I asked them.

"I'm not going to the funeral tomorrow" Cede said.

"Yes you are" I told her.

"Satan, I need Auntie Snix" Noah said, getting up off his stool.

"Already on it" Santana replied, reaching into her hair.

"Noah, sit down. Santana, take your hands out of your hair. Mercedes, you are going to that funeral because your dad will need you. Noah, I know you want to deal with my mom because you've been itching to get your hands on either one of my parents since they kicked me out, but that won't solve anything. They made their choices, and they are the ones who will never get to know the most amazing girl in the world. I've accepted it and you have to as well. As for everyone else, if you don't remember anything else I've said to you today, remember these two things, no matter what obstacles are put in your path, you have to persevere, and also, whatever you do, please, please, please, don't drink and drive. Nothing is worth what could happen because of that choice. Thank you for listening to me" I told them.

"Kristina, can I talk to you for a second" Kurt asked.

"Sure Kurt" I told him as we walked to a quiet corner.

"I just wanted to apologize for Wednesday. After listening to you, I can see why you are so protective of Mercedes. I plan to throw myself at her feet and beg her forgiveness for being a bad friend" Kurt said.

"She won't need you to do all that. She just needs you to put more effort into your friendship. I also need to apologize for being so harsh with you. It wasn't my place to say anything about that" I told him.

"No, I'm glad you did. I was so caught up in my life, that I didn't notice that I was letting one of my most important relationships fall apart, so thank you" Kurt said, opening his arms for a hug.

"You're welcome" I said, enjoying his embrace.

"Umm, I'm not sure why, but Mercedes is headed this way, and she looks upset. Good luck" Kurt said, going to talk to Blaine.

"Cede, are you ok" I asked her.

"You called me Mercedes" Cede replied.

"That's your name" I replied, not understanding the problem.

"You only call me Mercedes when you're mad at me" Mercedes stated.

"Oh, I'm sorry Cede. I'm not mad at you, I just wanted to get my point across that your dad is going to need you tomorrow. I didn't mean anything by it. I promise" I told her, giving her a hug.

"I'm sorry, I overreacted. Your dad is being buried tomorrow, and you're not even allowed to go to the funeral, and I'm acting like a spoiled brat. I'm sorry your parents suck" Cede said.

"It's fine, I have yours as back-up. Could you do me a favor and get Noelle from Coach Sylvester? There's something I have to do" I told her.

"Sure, do you want company? I'm sure Puck, Tina, or even Santana would drive you where you need to go" Cede offered.

"No, I need to do this by myself. I'll see you at home" I told her, waving to everyone as I left the choir room.


	5. Chapter 5

_Friday (cont.)_

_At the cemetery_

"Hi Justin. I know it's been awhile since I've come here to talk to you, but you know why. This town, it has so many bad memories for me. I keep you with me all the time. And Noelle…, she's so much like you, looks and personality. You would be so proud of her. She cares about people, but doesn't let their feelings control hers. She's so smart too. Her preschool wants to put her in an accelerated program. They think she will be able to skip kindergarten if I want her to. I just… I wish you were here to help me make these decisions. I don't want to make the wrong choice for her. I know you trust me, but sometimes I worry that I'm going to screw her up. Just drop me a sign every now and then to let me know that I'm doing things right. I know you told me I should find love, and I will. I wanted to concentrate on school and Noelle first. But I want you to know that no matter who comes into my life, I will always love you. You were my first love, and have owned my heart since I was 13 years old. I will find someone who loves me and Noelle just as much as you do, and will treat us the way you would want us to be treated. I want you to know that I will probably not be coming back here again. My parents haven't changed, well, my mom hasn't. My dad will be joining you here tomorrow, well physically. I can't imagine that he will end up where you are. You are a much better person than he was. Anyway, I promise to keep you in my heart, and make sure Noelle never forgets you. I have my family, and since I've been here, I've reconnected with Noah and the rest of your family, so I can count on them as well. Noelle will never lack for love, and eventually, I will open my heart to someone, and hopefully I won't lack for love either. I love you." I said, leaning back from Justin's grave.

"Come on Cede. You've waited long enough. You too Noah" I said without turning around.

"It's actually not either of them" Tina said.

"What are you guys doing here" I asked, turning around and walking to where she was standing with Santana, Artie, Kurt, and Quinn.

"Mercedes told us where you were headed" Santana started.

"And we figured you would probably need someone to lean on when you finished" Kurt added.

"So here we are" Artie finished.

"And I'm here because I wanted to apologize for being a bitch earlier. I'm jealous of you because you accomplished your dreams and kept your child, something I wasn't strong enough to do, so I lashed out at you. I'm sorry" Quinn said.

"It's fine" I told her.

"Look, I know you don't like me, and after listening to you today, I can understand why, but my decision wasn't an easy one" Quinn said.

"You have no clue as to why I don't like you. My problem with you is not that you gave your child up for adoption. You made the best choice for you and her. My problem is how you've treated my family since you moved out. You live in the same town as them, yet you've been to their house less than I have, and you rarely speak to Cede even though you go to the same school, and are in the same clubs. That is why I don't like you" I told her.

"Q, maybe it's best if you leave. I'll catch a ride home with Kristina" Santana told Quinn.

"Fine. I'll see you all later" Quinn said leaving.

"Damn ma, that was hot" Artie said, breaking the tension.

"Artie" Tina scolded.

"Sorry" Artie replied.

"I would just like to thank you for letting me off easy" Kurt said.

"Could you tell that to Cede? She read me the riot act when she found out what I said to you" I told him.

"How did she find out? Why was she mad" Kurt asked.

"She asked how our fashion session went, so I told her. She was mad because she claims I interfered with your friendship, and I shouldn't have, which she was right about" I admitted.

"Will she be mad about Quinn" Tina asked.

"No, Quinn opened that can of worms, so I'm good" I told her.

"Ok, so since all the drama is over, I want to see what Justin looked like. I know he must have been cute" Santana said.

"I thought you were…" I started.

"I am, but I can still appreciate a hot guy" Santana said.

"Fine, there's an album labeled Justin in the gallery" I said, giving my phone to Santana, as Tina moved closer to her to get a better look.

"Wow, I never thought Puck would be the ugly one in the family" Tina said.

"Now he could get me to change teams, at least for a day or two" Santana added.

"Girls, you have drool on your chins" Kurt said, teasingly.

"Look Kurt" Tina said thrusting my phone into his hands.

"Oh my Gaga. That man is hot" Kurt said, showing Artie the pictures.

"That's what I'm competing against? Sorry Kristina, we can only be friends" Artie said.

"If you all are done drooling over the love of my life, would someone like to tell me where my child is" I asked, taking back my phone.

"Mercedes just sent me a text that Noelle wants spaghetti" Tina said, checking her phone.

"Yes! We's be going to Breadstix" Santana exclaimed.

"I can't believe that place is still open. The food there is disgusting" I said.

"So you don't want to go" Artie asked.

"Now I didn't say that. They have the best breadsticks I've ever had" I said.

"Ok then, to Breadstix" Santana shouted.

"To Breadstix" we all shouted back.

Tina, Santana, and I helped Kurt get Artie into his car, then climbed into my rental to head to Breadstix.

When we got to Breadstix, Noah and Mike were standing out front. Mike headed to Kurt's car to help with Artie, while Noah headed to my car.

Noah opened my door, pulled me out of the car, and told everyone we would be in in a few minutes. Mike gave us a wave as he pushed Artie toward the restaurant with everyone else following.

"So how are you doing Krissy? Really" Noah asked, enveloping me in a hug.

"I'm better now. I talked to Justin, asked him to give me a sign every now and then so I know I'm making the right choices regarding Noelle" I told him.

"Trust me, you're making good choices. Justin would be proud of Noelle. He would be proud of you too. What you did today, opening up to everyone like that was brave. I'm proud of you" Noah said.

"Thank you. I needed to do that more than I thought. I feel so much lighter. The fact that no one was judging me helped" I told him.

"Yeah, that's one of the best things about glee club. In that room, no one judges. No matter what goes on outside it, we make sure to support each other" Noah said.

"I'm glad you and Cede have a support system like that" I told him.

"Me too. I want you to know that I have your back no matter what Krissy. I love you" Noah said, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you too Noah. Now, let's get inside, I'm starving" I said, linking arms with him and laying my head on his shoulder.

Tina and Santana must have gone to the bathroom because they got to the table at the same time as Noah and I.

"Wow, the gang's all here" Santana said as she slid into the empty seat between Brittany and Sugar, Tina sat between Mike and Artie, and Noah and I sat in the remaining seats between Artie and Cede, Noah next to Cede, and me next to Artie.

"Yeah, I was only expecting Cede and Noah to be here" I said.

"Well, Tina texted me while I was with Blaine, Finn, Rachel, and Sam" Mike said.

"I was with Rory, Sugar, and Joe when Santana texted me" Brittany said.

"So it looks like everyone made it except Quinn, who was with you guys" Cede said looking at me accusingly.

"It wasn't Krissy's fault. Santana sent her home" Tina said.

"She was being a bitch to Kristina, so I told her to go home" Santana said nonchalantly.

"What happened" Rachel asked.

"She didn't like my reaction to her apology for what she said about Justin, and assumed my dislike of her is because she gave her daughter up for adoption. I told her the real reason I don't like her, then Santana intervened to diffuse the situation, even though she really didn't need to" I said.

"I just didn't want you going all Lima Heights on her" Santana admitted.

"Thank you, but I do have some self-restraint" I told her. "Anyway, where is Noelle? Isn't she the reason we're even here?"

"I told my ma that we were bringing Noelle here for spaghetti, and she insisted on feeding her at the diner. She'll drop her off at the end of her shift in a few hours" Noah said.

"She won't be in the way" I asked.

"Nah, Sarah is there too. She'll keep her occupied" Noah said.

"Are you sure" I asked.

"Yeah, ma and Sarah want some extra time with the munchkin before you two head home Sunday" Noah replied.

"Krissy, do you want to go to the mall with me tomorrow? I have to pick up some things for my parent's anniversary, and Mercedes said you're great with that kind of thing" Tina said.

"No, she's hanging with Britt and I tomorrow" Santana immediately countered.

"We're gonna teach her about how awesome lady kisses are" Brittany added.

"I was hoping we could discuss the Broadway musicals we've seen tomorrow" Rachel said.

"I know what you guys are trying to do, but it's not necessary. Noelle and I are going to visit MJ tomorrow, then he's coming back with us tomorrow night" I said.

"Oh hell to the no. MJ doesn't have to go to the funeral tomorrow, but I do? In what world is that fair" Cede asked.

"MJ isn't going because like me, he is persona non grata" I told her.

"Persona non grata" Finn asked.

"It means he's not welcome" Rachel filled in for him.

"Why would MJ be persona non grata" Cede asked.

"Because unlike you, Noah, Sarah, Ms. Becca, Justin, your mom, and your dad, MJ managed to lay hands on my dad for the way he treated me" I told her.

"What? Go MJ" Noah said.

"When was this, and why did no one tell me" Cede asked.

"It was when I was in the hospital right after I had Noelle, and no one told you because your mom said you would be jealous of MJ, and go out of your way to even the score" I told her.

"Well, yeah, I still want my chance, and if your mom says one bad thing about you, Noelle, or Justin, I'm going upside her head" Cede said.

"Can someone go to the funeral to prevent her from attacking my mom" I asked, looking around.

Suddenly, everyone was extremely interested in their food.

"Come on, there has to be one of you who is anti-violence" I said.

"Sorry Kristina, you're one of us now, and we are very protective of each other" Mike said.

"Yep after what you told us, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on your mom myself. My razors are tingling" Santana said, indicating her hair.

"Tina, Brittany, you two seem to be the most sensible from what I've heard" I said.

"Sorry, if Cedes wants to take someone to the carpet, I'm not interfering" Tina said.

"Your parents tried to steal your light. They deserve whatever they get" Brittany added.

"Fine, Cede, just remember she did just lose her husband" I told her.

"As long as she doesn't mention you or yours, there will be no violence. Now back to MJ, what did your dad do for MJ to finally hit him" Cede asked.

"My parents came to visit me in the hospital after I had Noelle, and they convinced Aunt Karen and Uncle Michael that they had had a change of heart, and wanted to take steps toward forgiveness, so they decided to give us some time alone, and basically dragged MJ out of the room. He hadn't left my side since I made them let him come into the delivery room, and wasn't interested in my parents' plea for forgiveness. He felt something wasn't right, so he snuck back up and hung out outside my room without anyone knowing. Anyway, my parents were really pleasant while everyone was in the room, but as soon as it cleared out, they changed. They started saying how much of a disappointment I was, and that I would never be anything as long as I was saddled with a baby, especially since Justin was no longer in the picture. My dad said I should do the world a favor and just kill myself, and take my bastard with me. That's when MJ flew into the room and just started wailing on my dad. Aunt Karen and Uncle Michael had realized that MJ wasn't with them and came to look for him, and pretty much saved my dad's life, though if they had known at the time what he'd said that caused MJ to flip out like that, they probably would have helped MJ. The police were called, and MJ told them what happened, and a nurse who happened to be in the hall with MJ backed him up because I couldn't do anything but cry. Officially, the police told MJ there would be an investigation, and he needed to keep his hands to himself, but unofficially they gave him a pat on the back and said they would have done the same thing. My dad tried to press charges, but when I was finally calm enough to give a statement, no one wanted to hear a thing he had to say, and told him he got off lucky." I said.

"I remember Uncle Chris looking like he went a few rounds with Tyson after Noelle was born, but I always assumed daddy did that, but you're telling me that MJ, my MJ, Mr. "Violence never solves anything" did that" Cede asked unbelievingly.

"Wait, I saw your dad when ma brought me to the hospital. There's no way MJ could do that kind of damage" Noah added.

"Trust me, I was there. It was him. I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't seen it myself. Anyway, Uncle Michael and Aunt Karen felt it was best that neither of you knew that MJ had done what he did, because they didn't want to encourage your bad behavior, or give you another reason to act out, so they let you believe that it was Uncle Michael who did it" I told them.

"Go MJ, but I'm definitely taking Aunt Amanda to the carpet if she says something stupid" Cede exclaimed gleefully.

"Behave Cede" I told her.

"Britts and I will go to the funeral and make sure she's on her best behavior" Santana said.

"Mike and I will go too" Tina offered before I could say anything.

"Mike, are you able to handle Cede and Santana by yourself" I asked.

"The entire football team couldn't handle those two, besides, Brit and Tina are the ones you should be worried about. They seem all sweet and innocent, but they are truly diabolical" Mike admitted.

"We'll all go. Mercedes is family, and we support family" Rachel said.

"Plus, if Cede, Tana, Britts, and Tina pop off on your mom, there will be more of us to try to calm them down" Artie said.

"Are you guys sure? I don't want you to have to give up your Saturday" I said.

"Look, if Retha goes to jail for giving your mom the beat down she so deserves, we can't compete, and I'm trying to go out on top, so if she needs back up, Auntie Snix is on top of it, along with Puckerman, and if we need some vicious, psychological stuff to happen, Britts and Goth Asian are all over it. Wheels, boy Asian, Finnocence, and Teen Jesus can try to talk us down, while Hobbit, Tone Deaf, Irish, Trouty, and Richie Rich can drive the getaway cars. Lady Lips is a toss-up between backing us up and talking us down, it'll probably depend on his mood" Santana said, sort of thoughtfully.

"Ignoring Santana's nicknames for us, she's pretty much right" Kurt said, giving Santana major side eye.

"Really, it's no trouble at all. Besides, the more of us who go, the more witnesses we have that will corroborate our story when we say she started it" Tina said.

"Fine, but if you must engage with her, let Brittany and Tina handle things. I don't have the money to bail any of you out of jail, and I would feel really guilty if something happened to any of you" I told them.

"We got it Krissy. You worry too much" Cede said.

"Fine. Who has Noelle's car seat? I want to go pick her up so she can rest before our trip tomorrow" I said, after we paid our bill.

"It's in my truck. Don't look at me like that. I turned the airbags off, and drove very carefully" Noah said before I could admonish him.

"He's not lying. I don't think he went over 30 once" Cede defended.

"Woah grandpa Puckerman, don't wanna go too fast do we" Santana teased.

"Hey, I had to protect that little angel" Noah retorted.

"Cede, why didn't you drive" I asked.

"My car is at home. You drove us to school today" Cede answered.

"Oh right. Noah can you put the car seat in my car so Cede and I can go pick up Noelle" I asked as everyone started to disperse.

"Actually, Sexy Mama, can you drive my truck to your house? I need to talk to Krissy about some stuff" Noah said.

"Puck, you know I can't drive that thing. It's worse than my Tahoe" Cede said.

"I'll drive it. I mean, I'll drive you home in the truck if Puck will take me home when he and Kristina get back" Sam offered.

"Sam, I couldn't" Cede started.

"Let him take you home" I sang quietly in her ear.

"Thank you Sam" Cede said.

"If I don't see you guys before I leave, it was really nice to meet you, and thank you for having my and Cede's backs" I said.

"Nice try, but you'll be seeing us Sunday after you get out of church" Artie said.

"Sam, don't wreck my baby. Oh, and take care of Sexy Mama" Noah said, tossing Sam his keys, adding the last part after I glared at him.

"I promise I will get them both back to the Jones house safely" Sam said, grabbing Noelle's booster seat and bringing it to Noah.

"Um Cede, can you and Sam stop at that ice cream place I like? I just got a strong craving for some really good ice cream" I said.

"You can't get it because" Cede asked.

"Because taking a 3 year old into an ice cream shop is not the brightest idea, especially not Noelle. People think she's cute, which she already knows she is, and they give her whatever she asks for, usually against my wishes" I explained.

"Fine, we'll get it and bring it home for you" Cede said.

"Oh, but don't go straight there. It'll take a while to pry Noelle from my ma and Sarah, plus me and Krissy have some stuff to discuss" Noah added.

"Yeah, give us an hour… Make that two" I said after getting a nod from Noah.

"And what exactly are we supposed to do for two hours" Cede asked.

"You could go somewhere and talk, or not talk, but whatever you do, don't think. Just go with the flow" I told her.

"Subtle much" Cede mumbled under her breath.

"I heard that little girl. I will call you when we're leaving the diner, so you can head to the ice cream shop" I said, sticking my tongue out at her.

"Fine" Cede relented.

"Oh, and Sam, while I'm all for the whole, um" I said, pausing for a moment.

"Samcedes" Noah offered.

"Ooh, I like that. Ok, while I'm all for the whole Samcedes thing, if you hurt my baby cousin in any way, I will be forced to return to my Lima Heights roots and cut more than just that handsome face" I said, flashing my razor at him.

"My mother raised me to be a gentleman, and I promise not to go any further than what Cedes is comfortable with" Sam said.

"Good. I like you, and I would hate for that opinion to change" I told him.

"We're going now" Cede said, grabbing Sam's hand and pulling him back towards Noah's truck.

"Have fun" I yelled as they climbed into the truck.

"So, you're really ok with Sam and Sexy Mama" Noah asked as we climbed into my car and headed towards the diner.

"Of course. You guys may not have known they were dating until after he moved away, but she called me after their prom date. I swear I've never heard her so happy or excited because of a boy" I told him.

"Wow, way to stroke my ego" Noah said.

"Come on, even you admitted that you both were just using each other. It wasn't real" I replied.

"That's true. Sam and Sexy Mama are the truth though, or at least I think they will be once they stop playing around." Noah said.

"That Shane guy did a number on her. There is no way she should have still been entertaining him once Sam came back, especially not after what she told me" I said.

"What did he do? Me and the rest of the guys got Cede's back, so all of us will beat the breaks off of him for her, even Fairy and Teen Jesus" Noah said.

"I'm not allowed to discuss it, but it wasn't anything physical. If it had been, nothing Cede did would've stopped me from killing him. I ran into him today, but Tina and Mike wouldn't let me do anything to him. My razor started vibrating in my mouth the more he spoke to me" I told him.

"What did he say" Noah asked.

"He came up to me, completely not knowing who I was, and said his girl was tripping, and had him in a holding pattern, but he would dump her for me because he figured we could make some beautiful cocoa babies. I went completely off. I told him that I already had a beautiful caramel baby who was the product of a chocolate vanilla swirl, and I had no interest in procreating with a stupid, ugly jerk, no matter what his race was, and if I was his girl, he would've lost any chance the second he opened his stupid mouth. By the time I said this, Mike and Tina had arrived on scene. They asked what was going on, I told them, and Mike said he wasn't sure which one of us he needed to hold back more. I told him I was fine, that I had said what I needed to say, and was heading to class. When I turned around to walk away, he said I was crazy and he was gonna make sure his girl stayed with him no matter what. That's when according to Tina, I went all Lima Heights on him. I started going off in Spanish, and my razor was in my hand. Mike picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, and he and Tina locked me in a classroom until I calmed down. If it looks like Cede is considering taking him back, instead of getting back with Sam, Mike is going to tell Cede what happened" I said.

"Why Mike? Wouldn't it be better coming from Tina" Noah asked.

"You're such a guy. No it's best to come from Mike. Mike and Cede are friends, but they're not close. Tina is Cede's best friend, and has become friends with me as well. Cede knows how Tina and I both feel about Shane, so she wouldn't put it past us to come up with a story like this, but Mike has no reason to lie. Plus Coach Sylvester and that other Cheerio coach will corroborate what Mike says because they were there and heard everything, but wouldn't you know it, they don't like Shane either. Made sure he knew exactly who I was before they told everyone that nothing happened" I told him.

"Coach Sylvester tries to act like she doesn't like or care about us, but she always manages to come through for us" Noah said.

"She's pretty amazing when she wants to be, just don't let her know that" I replied.

"And admit that I actually like her? Yeah, no way. Liking Schue and Beiste is bad enough" Noah said, pulling into the diner where his mom worked, ending our conversation.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Here is the final chapter for my story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I wish we had gotten to meet Mercedes' family on the show, but since we didn't, I get to pretend that her parents were James Monroe Iglehart and Angela Bassett, and her brother was Michael B. Jordan.

_Sunday_

"MJ, stop giving her so much candy. I need her to sleep on the flight, and you're gonna have her hyper through the whole thing, then I'm gonna have to fly back and kill you" I said to my second favorite cousin.

"Come on, how can you resist this face" MJ replied, smushing Noelle's face.

"Like this, Noelle, you cannot have any more candy until we get home, to our home. If MJ tries to give you some, you are allowed to give him a consequence" I told her.

"I get to pick" Noelle asked.

"Yes, you get to pick MJ's consequence, and make sure it's a good one" I told her.

"Yay" Noelle replied, grinning mischievously.

"I almost want to give her candy just to see what she comes up with" MJ admitted.

"She comes up with her own consequences, and I usually have to turn her first two down because they are way too harsh, so I'd be careful. Whatever she says, you're going to have to do" I told him.

"Kristina" Cede angrily yelled up the stairs.

"She said your government name. What did you do" MJ asked.

"Nothing that I can think of. Pray for me" I told him.

"Mommy's in trouble" Noelle whispered to MJ as I headed down to where Mike, Tina, Santana, Brittany, and Noah were waiting on the others with Mercedes.

"Cede, why are you calling me by my actual name" I asked.

"Sorry Krissy" Tina said from where she was sitting next to Mike.

"What is this" Cede asked, shoving a phone in my hand.

"Where did you get this" I asked, realizing it was a video of me going off on Shane.

"That doesn't matter. Why are you attacking Shane" Cede asked, handing the phone to Santana who passed it to Noah after he asked to see it.

"I had my reasons. I didn't start going off on him out of the blue" I told her, sitting next to Noah.

"Well what are they, because all I can see is my cousin attacking my ex-boyfriend, and threatening to cut his, ahem, jewels, off, among other things" Cede said.

"Sexy Mama, lay off Krissy. Shane was being an ass. He's lucky I wasn't there, I would have helped her" Noah said, giving Santana back her phone.

"How do you know what Shane was doing? You just saw the video" Cede said.

"Krissy told me about what happened two days ago, though I'm pretty sure she didn't know she was being recorded" Noah said.

"You told Noah about this two days ago? What did Shane say that would make you go off like that" Cede asked.

"Cede" I said.

"Mike, Tina, you two were there. What was said" Cede asked.

"Before we got there, Shane hit on Kristina, said some things about you that she didn't like, she turned him down in a not so gentle way, and after she told Tina what he said, I told them I wasn't sure which one of them I needed to hold back. Kristina said she was fine, and we all turned to walk away, when he called Kristina crazy, and said something that made all three of us mad, and that's when Kristina did what's in the video" Mike said.

"She really did try to walk away" Tina added.

"And none of you were going to tell me about this" Cede asked.

"We were hoping it wouldn't be necessary" I told her.

"And what exactly would have made you decide it was necessary" Cede asked.

"I was going to tell you what happened if it looked like you were going to take Shane back" Mike said, after looking at Tina and I.

"You two weren't going to tell me" Cede asked.

"They thought it would be better coming from Mike because Krissy and Tina didn't think you would believe them" Noah said.

"You're my cousin and my best friend. Why wouldn't I believe you" Cede asked.

"Because Kristina hates Shane, and Tina can't stand him. What? You know my Mexican third eye is all seeing" Santana said when Tina and I looked at her. "Anyway, it's kind of brilliant, and I'm mad I didn't think of it first."

"What are you talking about Satan" Cede asked.

"If Tina and Kristina told you what happened with Shane, without video, you would have said they were making things up because they don't like Shane, and Kristina at least, wants you with Sam. Though, I kinda want you and froggy lips to be a thing too, just so I can watch the battle of the lips. Anyway, with Mike telling you, you would have to believe him, because unlike Tina and Kristina, he would have no reason to lie. While he would help the guys beat the snot out of anyone who hurt you, he's basically indifferent to Shane, and not close enough to you or Sam to have a vested interest in the status of either of your relationships" Santana explained.

"What she said" Tina and I said simultaneously.

"Kristina, if you had been around when this nonsense first started, we could have staged that fight with Shane, and none of this would have even been necessary" Santana said.

"No, she needed him to gain the confidence to step out into the spotlight, but once the Troubletones was established…" I said, trailing off.

"Thank you for trying to protect me, but next time, tell me immediately" Cede said, looking at Mike, Tina, and I.

"Santana, where did you get that video from anyway" I asked.

"One of the younger Cheerios sent it to me, and I sent it to her. I knew she would be able to handle it without hurting Mercy too much. I knew Shane must have done something to make you that mad, because you were dark in the video, but your light is back now. Just like when you and Santana were fighting last week. She said something mean about you in front of your daughter, and you got really dark, but when we were talking to you before Puck showed up the first day you were here, you were almost as light as Mercy" Brittany said, speaking for the first time since I came downstairs.

"You are very insightful Brittany. I hope no one ever diminishes your light" I told her.

"I need to apologize for what I said to you that day. I know we've glossed over it and swept it under the rug, but I was way out of line, and I'm sorry" Santana said.

"You were looking out for one of the only people I care about in Lima. I probably would have done the same. Your apology really wasn't necessary, but thank you. If I held what you said against you, trust me, you would know it" I told her.

"Did we really just walk in on a real life honest to goodness Santana Lopez apology" Sam said, carrying Artie down the steps, while Joe followed with his wheelchair.

"I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't witnessed it myself" Artie said once he was situated.

"Shut it before I pull those froggy lips over your head and suffocate you with your own bottom lip, and shove those glasses so far down your throat that your intestines will be able to see" Santana said to Sam and Artie.

"That escalated quickly" Cede teased.

"Aretha" Santana said turning to Cede, causing Cede to put her hands up in an "I surrender" gesture.

"Uh, Brittany, Santana, can you" I started.

"Oh, it's already handled, and I told Sue about it, so she will take care of her too" Santana said.

"Anyone care to fill us in" Artie asked.

"Kristina went all Lima Heights Adjacent on Shane" Brittany said.

"No, I went all Lima Heights on him. None of that Adjacent stuff. I'm from Lima Heights and proud of it" I said.

"Please tell me you hit him. I've wanted to hit him since I got back" Sam said.

"No, but only because Mike and Tina wouldn't let me" I said.

"I need proof" Artie said.

"Why? You saw her about to go Lima Heights on me" Santana said.

"I know. It was extremely hot" Artie replied.

"Have you deleted it yet" I asked Santana.

"I was about to, but I haven't yet" Santana said.

"Go ahead, but it's deleted right after they see it. The last thing I need is my new principal seeing me go off on a student, even if he did deserve it" I said.

"I knew I liked you. If only I had been there. Damn you Mike, you should have let her get him" Sam said, somehow managing to pick me up in a hug with one arm, and hit Mike with the other.

"Sam if you don't get your hands off my future baby mama, I'm gonna roll on your toes" Artie said, causing Sam to put me back on the couch next to Noah.

"I thought you said we could only be friends" I reminded him.

"That was before I remembered you get even hotter when you're mad" Artie replied.

"Give me a call after you turn 21, and we'll see" I told him.

"Wait, you told Sam to call you the day after he turned 18. Why do I have to wait until 21" Artie replied.

"You told Sam to call you" Santana and Noah shouted simultaneously.

"Both of you can calm down. Noah, I told you Friday that I am fully onboard the Samcedes train. That whole interaction with Sam was a means to an end" I told them.

"So you don't really want to" Sam started.

"With you, no, but your lips on someone else, absolutely. I was simply trying to make a certain someone see that you are a really good catch, which I believe I have succeeded in. As I told Kurt when he asked me about it, you are too All-American for me" I said.

"And Artie's not" Mike asked.

"I don't know, he may have a bit of a rough edge" I said.

"For you, I could be all rough edges" Artie said.

"You are truly too much Artie" I told him.

"Ok, glad that's explained, but what is the Samcedes train" Santana asked.

"It's Sam and Mercedes' couple name. Noah came up with it" I said.

"Good job Puck" Brittany said.

"I fully support this" Tina added.

"All aboard the Samcedes train. Woo woo" Sugar said as she came downstairs with the rest of the New Directions minus Quinn trailing her.

"Cede, I thought you and MJ were going to talk your parents into soundproofing the basement" I said, realizing that for the second time that day, what we were talking about was heard by people outside the basement.

"They decided to soundproof their room instead, it cost less money that way" she told me.

"That makes sense" I said.

"Ok, now that everyone is here, it's time to turn this into a going away party for my favorite cousin" Cede started.

"And it just wouldn't be a New Directions party without" Rachel added.

"Karaoke" Quinn finished, coming down the stairs holding Noelle, followed by MJ with a cake.

"Let's get this party started" Finn yelled as he and Kurt ran to the set up the stage, while Artie rolled to set up the stereo equipment.

I went to take Noelle from Quinn, but was intercepted by Tina and Santana who said they wanted to sing with her.

"Look, I wanted to apologize to you. Tina, Santana and Kurt each took some time to set me straight. You were right. I distanced myself from Mercedes and the rest of the Jones family. I have my reasons, but I should have explained what I was feeling, rather than cutting them off the way I did. They didn't deserve that, especially not Mercedes" Quinn said.

"I accept your apology. I want you to know that I understand why you did what you did, but you hurt the most important people in the world to me, other than my daughter, and that is something that I just can't accept, but if you are truly sorry, and make it up to Cede, Aunt Karen, and Uncle Michael, I promise to stop disliking you so much" I told her.

"I have a song I would like to sing to Mercedes. Will you join me" Quinn asked.

"Absolutely" I said, knowing that this was just a small step toward repairing the friendship Quinn and Cede shared.

After singing "Thank You For Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold with Quinn, cracking up when everyone, including the boys, joined in when we sang the parts from The Golden Girls, I sat back and just enjoyed listening to Cede and her friends sing their hearts out. They even managed to convince MJ to sing with them. I don't know if a return trip to Lima is in my future, but right now, it's nice to be home again.


End file.
